Flipped classrooms occur when the teacher gives the students the content via video or other media to view at home. By using this practice, students are able to receive help with solving problems and applying the learning while at school with the teacher.

Learner Centered vs. Student Centered Classroom

- if you're just lecturing, the classroom is not allowing for student direction- giving the students the lesson at home and working through the content during class time working through problems- students struggle with the practice problems the most, which leads to frustration and incomplete assignments

Benefits of a Flipped Classroom

- Students are able to complete more of the assignments since the work is done at school

Students without Internet Access

After school tutorials, library hours, notes transcription can serve as alternatives for students that are not able to access the video content. A beginning of the year survey can help to identify the students who might need accommodations throughout the year.

Tools for Creating Videos

- Educreations - available for PC and iPad- ShowMe - only available on iPad- Explain Everything - available on Android and iOS- Screencast-o-matic - use from a PC to record the screen with voice

Select a trip which has a clear connection to what you are studying in class.

2. Plan ahead for your trip:

teach a preparatory lesson before the trip (if necessary)

preview the site and know the content

check all links up to three clicks away from the tour

provide step by step tasks to accomplish

consider a treasure hunt checklist for students to follow

students could gather text and images to make a scrapbook

design a webquest which requires students to complete an assignment

state a measurable objective for your culminating activity

3. Be sure to include the VFT in your lesson plans4. Place a time limit on the trip5. Be the tour guide - help students pace themselves6. Consider using a projector and touring as a class (especially if you have limited technology)7. Consider pairs or small groups if students work on their own8. Follow through on a plan of assessment for completed student work9. Have at least one follow-up lesson after the trip

Don’t

Allow students to wander on their own

Present the site without knowing it in detail

Go on a trip without classroom preparation ahead of time

Use VFT’s as an unstructured use of free time

Complete a VFT and have little or no follow-up - help kids make those connections to their learning

*Adapted from Walter McKenzie’s Innovative Teaching - Virtual Field TripsSuggested sites for students to blog or share with-

Peardeck

Haiku Deck

Kidblog

Powtoon

Prezi

Virtual Field trips visited today.

4-H Virtual Farm

www.airpano.com -Himalayas

www.360cities.net

www.mnh.si.edu -Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html

gated.jason.org -Science Virtual Tours- Must have Aldine credentials and overestimate the number of students you teach so that new students don't have to be recreated

]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2015 23:10:36 GMThttps://www.itechnation.org/science-with-an-ego/webquests“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” --Confucius

What is a webquest?“an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the web. Webquests are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather than on looking for it, and to support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.” Bernie Dodge, originator of the webquestSix Reasons Teachers Should Use Web Quests1. To begin a unit as an anticipatory set (as per Madeline Hunter);2. To conclude a unit as a summation;3. As a collaborative activity in which students create a product (fostering cooperative learning);4. To teach students how to be independent thinkers since most of the problems encountered in a Web Quest are real-world problems;5. To increase competency in the use of technology; and6. As a motivational techniques to keep students on task. However, if it proves to be an inefficient method of learning for your particular students (for whatever reasons), don't use it!

Qualities of Effective Web QuestsThe Beauty of Web Quests are their flexibility since they can be anything to anyone. This makes it hard to identify a typically effective Web Quest. Nonetheless, we have found that Web Quests that promote learning typically have 6 common attributes.1. Introduction:The introduction is a means of providing the students with background information that is intended to be a springboard for them to begin the process of inquiry. One way is to present a simulation that leads students to develop a product/service, evaluate a time period, give advice on a given issue, manage a business situation, engage in a debate, or tackle one of life's challenges.2. Task:Formulating challenging questions is the difficult part of developing an effective Web Quest. In most cases, a single question is posed that requires students to analyze a vast array of information. For example, "Compare the leadership styles of George Washington and George Bush," or "You just made a revolutionary invention, what steps would you take to insure that no one can steal your ideas for profit?"3. Process:In this section, the teacher leads the student through the task. The teacher offers advice on how to manage time, collect data, and provides strategies for working in group situations. Teachers sometimes label this section: learning objectives or advice. In some cases the section is replaced with a complete time line for the project.4. Resources:Students are provided with tools (usually web sites), or leads to tools that can help them complete the task. In order for this to be valuable, a teacher must thoroughly review each source. When deciding on sources consider the following:a. Only list sites that support the proper view for which you are aiming. For every site that explains how > helpful the rain forest is, there are two sites to explain how bad it is.b. Make sure all the sites you choose are appropriate and do not link to any inappropriate sites.c. Make sure the source is credible. Anybody can create a web page. Try to use a commercial (.com), non-profit (.org), or educational organization (.edu) site. These sites have something to lose by providing you with poor content.d. Make sure the site is up to date.5. Evaluation:The outcome for Web Quests is usually a product, in most cases, in form of a written/oral report or multimedia presentation. An effective assessment tool to evaluate a product of a Web Quest is a rubric. Rubrics help make the teacher's expectations clear for students. Ideally, rubrics can be created collaboratively with students' input.6. Conclusion:Effective Web Quests have a built in mechanism for student reflections. To receive feedback, you can survey your students about their experience, or have the students send you an e-mail sharing their thoughts.

﻿Resources﻿www.teach-nology.com -webquests and a webquest makerwww.aacps.org -Lists of webquests for all subjects including elementarywww.middleschool.net - webquestswebquest.org -explains what a webquest istommarch.com/webquests -planning webquests

A practicing chemist for 10 years, in 2009, I left the laboratory behind to go into teaching. I have been teaching Physics at MacArthur High School in Houston ever since. I am a lifelong learner so education has been a great fit for me. I love trying new things in the classroom to keep things fresh and interesting and to get more students to love not just Physics, but science in general. I firmly believe it is better to try and fail than to never try at all. There is no one size fits all in education and I want people to feel free to use any ideas or techniques that I share and to adapt them to fit their own students and classrooms.